nathanhooper

Thanks. Yea, it was fun reeling him in. Makes me wonder what it was like for f&f with light tackle - not to mention 15 more! I'm still going to get pictures. Id like interpretation and thoughts on what I'm seeing.

Thats what I was figuring. Thats not me holding the fish, thats my friend. Figured I'd better not show him off without his permission. Some people are internet shy when it comes to photo's. He had pulled it out of the water and I just instinctively grabbed my phone for a picture.

If you have ever heard of the old saying, "I'll have to chew on that one for a while", its applicable here. Good night! This thing will get a lot of views because every now and then I'll be coming back to re-read it. Lots of info there, many thanks.

Well, I answered one of the questions I had last night. Went out with a friend and I told him about the large arches I was seeing up Indian Creek. So we decided to troll. Sure enough, we saw some right around the 30' mark just like I was Saturday morning. We dropped his downriggers in and threw out a couple of large stick baits he likes to troll a lot. These things are the size of some of the fish I catch. Haha After getting hung up once in a tree we kept on going. A minute or two later it looked like, to me, that we had gotten hung in another tree. So I went back to get the pole and he kept on saying that it was a fish. So I started reeling in, and it had some resistance but I thought it was just a limb holding back...until the limb decided to take off with several yards of line. Fish on, I'm sure I looked like a little kid. But eventually we pulled up this dude. 34"+. Not sure of the weight, don't have any scales. Going to have to get some though. I am guessing 18lbs? The belly on it was right at 7" deep, not sure if you can guess weight based on that. So, I'm pretty convinced that those fish hanging out at the 30' mark are stripers after all. Its killing me because I want to so bad go back out tonight, but I've got to wait till tomorrow unless I can get all the stuff I need to do done tonight. I had planned to do it yesterday but then my friend called. I'll still get some pictures of what I've been seeing, but nothing gives more indication that actually pulling up a fish that you were seeing on sonar.

Curiousity here, talked to a guy who likes to troll for stripes. He went out last night, dam area. When I asked what depth he was going he said he was marking a lot of fish at 30'. He is not new to stripes, and although he did not catch anything I have to think he was pretty confident that they were stripes. Interesting that I was seeing those kind of arches at the same depth, just in another area not far from where he was. So what depth were you pulling them from? I'm now very curious if fish reside at different depths in the different parts of the lake. So much to learn...

Is that the rock?

I would have to say the top one. It's an older color model. Lms-332c. It looks much different than either of yours though. I have it on bottom something mode. It helps me see the bottom a lot clearer. It shows the fish as a dark colored arch, then the "thicker" they are the brighter colors start showing up. Bait balls are very easy to see with it. I'm going out tomorrow. I will get a card ready and use it. I will have pictures to share Tuesday morning.

That makes sense, a lot actually. Curious though, werer you seeing these fish on sonar around the rock? Or did you just fish the rock because you know that it usually produces?

Oops, wrong thread.

See, that all makes sense now. While I am not an excellent hunter I do know I have come a long way. None in my family were hunters or fishers. I wanted to do both since I can remember. Taught myself about hunting, with the help of people like you guys who were willing to take the time sharing what they have learned. So after I got my boat going figured it was a cake walk. Wrong. It may be like hunting, but there is still some differences I just can't seem to put my finger on. So you said that you went to the rock at noon. Were you just passing by at that time while being out in the morning, or did you just get out there for an afternoon fish, or did you pick that time based on past experience? There are times when I will go out in the woods when people are scratching their heads. I just have learned when certain spots produce the best activity at certain times.

Nice! She is slender. But I hear what your saying. I'll take the advise, heck I'll take most any advice at this point. I am a full fledged newbie. No doubt. Took me 3 years to get a boat that would run, turning my property into a boat boneyard in the meantime. Was not till last summer that things came together and this spring till I felt comfortable with it and started trolling. I have many years of knowledge to catch up to the likes of you guys, I appriciate all the help. I have been noticing the live bait thing more. Worms just seem easier to come by. I have thought about cast netting for shad, but I can just see myself trying that and making myself even more frustrated before I even start fishing. I'm not the type to knock others for catching while I am not. It just makes me more determined...and my wife more lonely. Haha. No, just making me more broke than I already am. I'm thinking dynamite may be cheaper...

That's for sure a hot tip. Seems like all the fish are down that way, at least that's what I am hearing from guys I know now. Guys up my way driving down to fish in that area. It's hard to think that all the fish are congregated up there. What makes it unique?

I figured I should have got a picture. I got a lowrance that lets me record, but never tried it yet. I am doing a lot of fishing next week so I'll figure out this recording thing. Thanks guys.

Help me diagnose. When fishing today I saw many different sights. I did see a lot of bait balls, but nothing in the way of chasing them. But then at the end of the morning I did see some significant arches. They were back up a creek channel, Indian creek, but on the main channel. I did not troll back into the various coves. The arches, which were the biggest of the day, we're suspended in 50' of water at about 30'. In fact, even back out on the main lake I ran across some at the same depth. These arches did not seem to have much thickness to them. I have seen significant arches before with considerable color in them. These did not have that. Is there a way if determining what type of fish these may be? I would think that only a few fish would be able to throw that kind of signal back.

Maybe the thread should be 4th of July weekend? Can't wait to see what you all scared up last night with WW3 going on out there. I took the boy out this morning. Man oh man. You wanna talk about a bad morning. At least the boat did not break down. I really need to get some fishing knowledge pumped into my head. We trolled from first light till noon. Caught one small mouth the exact size of the flicker shad we were pulling. Boy loved it. Caught another 15"+ sm and that was it. I pulled through 11'-50'(even though I know I'm running 13' max). Couldn't hardly mark any fish worth speaking of. Maybe it's just my interpretation of the sonar. Who knows. I pulled through main lake till I read your post f&f and then pulled through to the back of Indian creek. That's where we caught the fish and where I actually saw decent fish on sonar. Probably carp or gar. I thought for sure that those nice little flickers would just gravitate the fish to me. Guess I was wrong. I think I'm just going to take a box of worms next time and call it good. Call me frustrated.

I've trolled at night, and in fact, that is when I have caught most of my fish. Ive done the light thing, but never stick around long enough for the ball to form. Mostly just the company with me is not wanting to stay. I will try again soon I'm thinking.

I don't see any eyes or stripes in there... I could see the advantage of group trolling. I guess when I limit myself on where I fish I limit the area to troll. Over there by the dam there is not much area that more than two guys would cover 10-50 of water. There is one flat(ish) area on around going toward Starkey I had thought of visiting. Maybe I will venture forth tomorrow.

Alright, I'm jealous. I have a small project going at the house and worked on it all day yesterday. Thought to myself, "boy, this would have been a good morning to be fishing..." I'll have to start doing the phone check in thing. I got me a couple of new rods waiting on me that I am itching to try. Line counter reels. Up to this point, believe it or not, I've been using Zebco 606 and while it reels the fish it, it is also a pain. The only way I have been able to tell how much line I have off is when I bought a thing of braid and tied it on and I know how much is out when its near where the braid meets mono. I hear you on the brownies. I catch more of them than all others. And about half are keepers. Its amazing how much of a fight one can put up on trolling tackle. I think I'll take my oldest boy out for a little run in the morning. I assume that long lining is still the ticket? Now that I'll have counters should be nice. I'll holler back with results. Good to hear the success of others and that the forage is good.

I've got to give this crawler harness thing a try.

Nice! That's a good haul I'd imagine. What did you use?

Shot you a pm there. Should be nice evening temp wise at least. Wonder what the cold front will do to them.

J-Doc - That all makes a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing the pictures. I tried to take one of some fish I saw the other night, but my scroll was set too fast and missed the chance. It was not as large a group as yours, but it was where we were catching fish while trolling. If I would have been smart I would have stoped the motor and tried jigging for a bit. I have always wondered the difference between the long streaks and the large arches. Now that you explained the difference it all makes sense. I think I'll motor aroud for a bit this evening. I have seen bait balls before, but never a large group of arches or lines. I bet its easier when they are in deeper water though, because of the sonar beam angle and such.

Lol. I have contemplated something like that before. It would at least keep my boy preocupied while we are "trying" to catch a fish.

I'm curious if anyone has seen, or even has some pictures of, fish stacked up on their sonar in Beaver Lake. I am new to the sonar gig, so I have been doing a lot of research and such and watched a video of a guy and his son fishing for striper in Georgia. The sonar was just plumb full from so far down to almost the bottom with fish arches. And they were true fish becuase they would reel them up and then catch another one right after. I have seen it in other places also, but just wondered if it is dependant on the lake or if Beaver has fish that school up like that. I am thinking of going out tonight, actually I am going, but I am thinking about just putting around and seeing if I come across something like this to drop a jig down into. Is it worth the time? Most of the time I have just been motoring out to a spot and then just troll around. I figured I could cover more ground, be able to make sharper turns and go into various depths if I just keep the rods in and locate the fish first. I know that one guy told me once that he has spent up to an hour looking for fish before starting to fish. So I just wonder what other people's take is on this.

If you go to Beaver Water Districts website they take samples every now and again. It seems that maybe every couple of weeks? But regardless, they have one from the 18th and it shows a very subtle, but distinct thermocline at right around 12-15 foot. Oxegen level is still good up at the surface and such also. I would like to see what a reading would show from today. I bet things have changed a bit over the last week. This data is all taken from around Hickory Creek. I am sure it varies a little here and there through the lake. I might just have to rig me up a digital thermometer and do some testing out Indian Creek/Dam Site area. I bet it would not be too hard. Disolved oxegen would take a bit more testing, but I could get it done.